Free Extract Sour Recipe Input

[SuchSweetThunder]

While shopping at Northern Brewer a few weeks ago I received a free dry stout extract kit. Unfortunately I already have 5 gallons of stout done and it's getting too warm here for more stout, so I'm thinking of repurposing the LME and making a Brett lambicus Saison (like Katy from 2nd Shift Brewing in STL). I can't find specs on Maillard malt Golden LME, but the Briess equivalent says it's 99% base malt and 1% carapils. Here's my idea:

6lbs Golden LME
2lbs wildflower honey (maybe more?)
Wyeast Belgian Saison, followed by Brett Lambicus in secondary for the recommended 6 months.

Looks like an OG of 1.053 for 5.5 gallons.

Any suggestions for some interesting steeping grains/additions/hops? I think I want to keep the hops minimal since I'm going for that "cherry pie" thing here. I am an all-grain BIAB brewer but since I have the LME and am really busy I'm hoping to avoid mashing any additional grains and just do steeping on this one.

Thanks!

 

[beergolf]

That recipe will work but it will not be a sour. Brett does not sour beers.

No need to keep the hops low because brett is not inhibited by hops. If you keep the hops low the brew will be too sweet. Lacto is hop intolerant and does not sour if the IBU's are too high. I would just hop it like a normal saison. Hop to a BU:GU ratio of about .497.

You could use a hop that will go well with that flavor profile. Maybe something that is citrusy. Or even something spicy. My favorite is French Strisselspalt.

 

[cswest]

I did 6 one gallon 100% Bret beers with different strains as an experiment a year ago and all of them came out sour. I would not say that Bret will or will not sour a beer but I would say that when you add the Bret will effect the flavors that it produces and sour is a possibility.

My advice would be to do what you wrote and add cherries. I would also consider pitching the Bret at the same time as the Saison.

Good luck and let us know how it turns out.

 

[SuchSweetThunder]

Cherries could be cool, I'll have to see what I can find. I guess I meant "sour" in the broad sense--the beer I'm mimicking is only lightly tart, I'm really just going for the b.lambicus sort of flavor.

I'll get to this next week and finalize between now and then.

 

[beergolf]

The thing you are probably tasting is a slight tartness because saisons dry out so much. So you are confusing tartness with sour. Even some saisons without brett wil have a tartness to them. It is not the brett that is giving that flavor.